Shaker Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry Great Northern beans
• 1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes in purée
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups finely shredded fresh spinach leaves

Instructions

1. Sort and rinse beans.
2. Place in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.
3. Drain beans and discard liquid.
4. In the same kettle, place ham bone or hocks, 3 quarts of water and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours or until meat easily falls from the bone.
5. Remove bones from broth, trim off the meat and discard bones.
6. Add ham, onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper and thyme. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until beans are tender.
7. Add tomatoes and brown sugar. Cook for 10 minutes.
8. Just before serving, add spinach.